Clinical Programs

Year 2013 to 2014 – Average patients per week

All outpatient consults are seen in clinic as new patients as reflected below.

Number of new patients: 1,123 per year – 22 per week
Number of repeat patients: 3,001 per year – 58 per week

Inpatient Care

Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory

Diagnostic catheterization – 11 per year for 2013 to 2014;
Interventional catheterization – 34 per year for 2013 to 2014

Cardiac catheterization is a non-surgical procedure in which specialized catheters are introduced into an artery or vein and directed into the heart for the purposes of diagnostic testing or intervention. Information not readily available via other testing can be obtained in this way, aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease. Interventions can also be performed in this manner, including the closing of holes in the heart, expanding narrowed vessels and valves and opening new passages within the heart, which once would have required surgery.

Outpatient Care

Clinical services provided by the division on site at CHEO include:

Consulting Pediatric Cardiology Clinic – provides full cardiology consultation and ongoing care for a wide range of pediatric cardiac conditions, including congenital and acquired heart disease. Clinical visits include cardiology testing such as ECG and echocardiography as required. Children requiring cardiac surgery are evaluated and followed pre- and post-operatively in this clinic as well.

Arrhythmia Clinic – is a specialized clinic for children who have, or are at risk for, an abnormal heart rhythm. The clinic is directed by an electrophysiologist, a cardiologist with special expertise in this area. Specific cardiology testing including ECG, signal-averaged ECG, stress testing, Holter monitoring and telemetry may occur during these clinics. Since some cardiac rhythm disorders are inherited, there is also a cardiac genetic counsellor affiliated with the clinic.

Pacemaker Clinic – provides assessment and ongoing care of children with an implantable pacemaker, defibrillator or other monitoring device. The clinic is staffed by an electrophysiologist cardiologist and specialized nurses.

Neuromuscular Cardiac and Heart Function Clinic – provides specialized cardiac care for children at higher risk of heart muscle disease, including neuromuscular diseases such as muscular dystrophy, some chemotherapy recipients and children with a family or personal history of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Clinic – provides specialized care to children with a diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and/or a family history of this. A genetic counselor is affiliated with this clinic to provide assessment and counseling regarding available genetic testing.

Fetal Cardiology Clinic – provides prenatal evaluation by echocardiography of fetuses with known cardiac conditions and screening of fetuses at risk of cardiac disease. A cardiologist, specialized echosonographers, a registered nurse and a social worker are affiliated with this clinic.

As well as the above clinics within CHEO, the division conducts cardiology outreach clinics to Iqaluit, Nunavut twice a year. Children with suspected and known heart disease from the communities of Nunavut can receive full cardiac evaluations during these clinics, often saving them a trip to Ottawa.